Pet Bereavement

Until the last decade or so, our pets on slipping this mortal coil would be interred either at the bottom of the garden - dog and goldfish lying paw to fin - or in rather less dignified ways. It's only relatively recently that pet crematoria have sprung up and other ways of remembering our pets have emerged.

There is little doubt that losing a beloved pet can leave a massive hole in a family's life. Unlike the death of a human family member, which understandably attracts a huge outflow of sympathy, love and care in both actions and words, the death of a pet can be bewildering for other reasons.

Ashton Kutcher made the brave yet utterly miserable decision to put his beloved dog down, and when you go through with such a decision, a little bit of your heart goes with your dog. You share your life with a dog and you dedicate your days, life and love to this four legged friend.

If anyone does take the time to read this, unless you are a dog lover then this will probably all appear to be a load of old tosh. There are many of us however that actually take the time to study our dogs in the hope of understanding them a little better